A/61/490 I. Introduction 1. The present report, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/51 of 20 April 2005, is the third report submitted to the General Assembly by Mr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur submitted his annual report to the Human Rights Council at its second session (E/CN.4/2006/78 and Add.1-5). 2. This report covers the activities carried out during the period November 2005 to October 2006. Like the Special Rapporteur’s preceding report to the General Assembly (A/60/358), it underscores certain issues of concern which, in his view, are of particular importance for the promotion and protection of the human rights of indigenous people. 3. The functions included in the Special Rapporteur’s mandate are described in resolutions 2001/57, 2002/65, 2003/56, 2004/62 and 2005/51 of the Commission on Human Rights and, in greater detail, in previous reports of the Special Rapporteur (E/CN.4/2002/97, paras. 2 and 3, and E/CN.4/2004/80, para. 2). The international legal framework for the Special Rapporteur’s work is also set out in the abovementioned reports (E/CN.4/2002/97 and E/CN.4/2004/80/Add.1, paras. 79-101). 4. By its resolution 2005/51, the Commission on Human Rights, for the first time, requested the Special Rapporteur to begin preparing a study regarding best practices carried out to implement the recommendations contained in his general and country reports and to submit a progress report to the Commission at its sixtysecond session. II. Activities carried out by the Special Rapporteur in fulfilment of his mandate 5. The annual report submitted by the Special Rapporteur to the Human Rights Council in September 2006, which was followed by an interactive dialogue with States and non-governmental organizations, covered activities carried out from March 2005 to March 2006. During that period, as in the previous years of his mandate, he continued to focus on three areas of action: first, thematic investigation and development of issues that have an impact on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, as reflected in the main report; secondly, country visits; and thirdly, urgent appeals and alleged violations concerning indigenous people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms. 6. The activities carried out in these areas are described in the Special Rapporteur’s main report (E/CN.4/2006/78) and its annexes. Five annexes were submitted in 2006 covering the following topics: communications received and sent during the period under review with respect to alleged violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people (E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.1); the Special Rapporteur’s report on his visit to South Africa from 28 July to 8 August 2005 (E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.2); the report on his visit to New Zealand from 16 to 26 November 2006 (E/CN.4/78/Add.3); his progress report on the study regarding best practices carried out to implement the recommendations in his annual reports, as required by the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.4); and 4 06-55256